Racial Differences in Discrimination, Coping Strategies, and Mental Health Among US Latinx Adolescents During COVID-19

ObjectivesWe explored racial differences in discrimination, perceived inequality, coping strategies, and mental health among 869 Latinx adolescents (Mage = 15.08) in the US. We then examined the moderating effects of race and perceived inequality in the associations between discrimination and coping strategies, and between discrimination and mental health.MethodANOVAs assessed group differences in the study variables based on race. Moderated regression analyses examined whether there was a 2 or 3-way interaction between race, perceived inequality, and discrimination on coping strategies and mental health as separate outcomes.ResultsBlack Latinx adolescents reported significantly higher rates of discrimination and perceived inequality than White and Other Race Latinx adolescents. Biracial Latinx adolescents reported higher rates of discrimination and poorer mental health than White Latinx adolescents. There was a significant 2-way interaction between discrimination and perceived inequality for engaged and disengaged coping. Discrimination was positively associated with engaged coping for low levels but not medium and high levels of perceived inequality. Discrimination was positively related to disengaged coping at medium and high levels of perceived inequality but not at low levels of perceived inequality. There was a significant 2-way interaction between discrimination and race for engaged and disengaged coping. Discrimination was negatively related to engaged coping for Black Latinx but not White Latinx adolescents. Discrimination was positively correlated to disengaged coping for Black Latinx but not Other Race Latinx adolescents.ConclusionsThis research provides preliminary evidence of racial group differences among Latinx adolescents regarding various indicators of mental health, which may help inform mental health interventions and federal policy. Objetivos: Exploramos diferencias raciales de discriminacion, percepcion de desigualdad, estrategias de afrontamiento, y salud mental en 869 adolescentes Latinxs (Promedioedad = 15.08) en los Estados Unidos. Luego, tambien examinamos los efectos moderadores de raza y percepcion de desigualdad en las asociaciones entre discriminacion y estrategias de afrontamiento, y entre discriminacion y salud mental.Metodo: Analisis de varianza (ANOVA) evaluaron las diferencias grupales en las variables del estudio segun la raza. Los analisis de regresion moderados examinaron si habia una interaccion de 2 o 3 vias entre raza, percepcion de desigualdad y discriminacion en las estrategias de afrontamiento y salud mental como resultados separados.Resultados: Los adolescentes Latinxs Afrodecendientes reportaron tasas significativamente mas altas de discriminacion y percepcion de desigualdad que los adolescentes blancos y Latinxs de Otras Razas. Los adolescentes Latinx birraciales reportaron tasas mas altas de discriminacion y peor salud mental que los adolescentes Latinx blancos. Hubo una interaccion bidireccional significativa entre la discriminacion y la percepcion de desigualdad para el afrontamiento comprometido y no comprometido. La discriminacion se asocio positivamente con el afrontamiento comprometido en niveles bajos, pero no en niveles medios y altos de percepcion de desigualdad. La discriminacion se relaciono positivamente con el afrontamiento no comprometido en niveles medios y altos de percepcion de desigualdad, pero no en niveles bajos de percepcion de desigualdad. Hubo una interaccion bidireccional significativa entre la discriminacion y la raza para el afrontamiento comprometido y no comprometido. La discriminacion se relaciono negativamente con el afrontamiento comprometido de los adolescentes Latinxs Afrodecendientes, pero no con los adolescentes Latinxs blancos. La discriminacion se correlaciono positivamente con el afrontamiento desinteresado de los adolescentes Latinxs Afrodecendientes, pero no con los adolescentes Latinxs de Otras Razas.Conclusion: Esta investigacion proporciona evidencia preliminar de las diferencias de grupos raciales entre los adolescentes Latinos/as con respecto a diversos indicadores de salud mental, lo que puede ayudar a informar las intervenciones de salud mental y la politica federal.